George Washington once observed that government is, at best, a necessary evil. At worst, an intolerable one. I ask myself, what is the essential ingredient that makes government an intolerable evil?

What is it that allows government to regulate, incarcerate, abuse, confiscate, embezzle - in a word - oppress? Answer: taxes! The cliche that money is the root of all problems applied to society, makes no sense, but applied to government, in particular, makes perfect sense. The definition of a free society is one that does not suffer oppression at the hands of government elected and appointed officials.

The only way to truly minimize oppression is to keep government small and unable to involve itself in most areas of human endeavor. The only way to keep the government small is to starve it of funds, in other words, keep taxes, low!

In my opinion, the total tax burden on a citizen should never exceed 10% - local, state and federal combined. Keep more money in the hands of citizens, and you will observe a society creating wealth and protecting its individual liberties.

In this struggle, the Colorado Union of Taxpayers stands squarely on the side of the working people, on the side of the productive, on the side of the job creators. We oppose those who imagine that they may use the power of taxation to live at someone else's expense.

We understand that today in America and in Colorado, in particular, no major political group steps up as the political protector of the hard working middle-class. Despite this perilous situation, the Colorado Union of Taxpayers will spare no effort in defending Colorado's overtaxed and over-regulated citizens.